Amusement ball-rolling skill game apparatus



United States Patent Inventors Everett Leslie Dreyer 1939 Weston Lane, Roselle, 60172; Louis Cruciotti, 912 N. 24th, Melroee Park, 60160; Richard G. Emmert, 23 W. 624 Woodworth, Roselle, 60172; Louis J.

Pranske, 41 Armitage, Northlake, Ill. 60164 Appl. No. 805,779

Filed Mar. 10, 1969 Patented Dec. 22, 1970 AMUSEMENT BALL-ROLLING SKILL GAME APPARATUS 10 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

0.8. 273/110 int. Cl A63b 67/14 [50] Field of Search 273/110, 113,115, 109,116,108

[56] References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 1,507,925 12/1967 France 273/110 Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle Assistant Examiner-Theatrice Brown Attorney-Edward C. Threedy ABSTRACT: A game apparatus having a play board mounted within a cabinet in a manner such that the board has a limited pivotal motion about the long axis thereof to direct a ball toward one or more targets to control the velocity and duration of movement of the ball, resulting in maintaining the bail in motion an indefinite period of time, depending upon the skill of the player.

PATENTEU UECZZ 1970 PATENTED 0&122 I970 SHEET 2 UF 2 u I 8 7 mu 5 Tmrsx 0 E2 1 1 5.1; 1a a x mmw w E 55 T a #Z R. 7 w ma E NH b NH V \m Hm m v m m1 wflq AMUSEMENT BALL-ROLLING SKILL GAME APPARATUS SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the prior art to which this invention relates, ball-rolling game apparatuses are to be found in which there is provided an inclined playing board having a limited tiltable motion about the long axis thereof. In such game apparatuses the ball is projected from one end of the board for gravitation theredown against the targets. The player manually tilts the board about its long axis in an endeavor to direct or divert the movement of the ball against the targets. When the ball reaches that end of the board from which it was originally projected, it finds its way into a ball elevator to a projecting device for reprojection upon the board.

Our invention has for its object the provision of not only directing or deflecting the movement of the ball toward the target or targets, but also the provision of controlling the speed and duration of the movement of the ball back and forth over the play board, the speed and duration of movement of the ball depending upon the skill of the player.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of our improved, game apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective and sectional detail view of the starting end of the game apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a suggested target embodied in the invention;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional detail view taken substantially along line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken substantially on line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken substantially on line 6-4 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view taken substantially on line 7-7 of FIG. 5.

Referring now particularly to the drawings showing the preferred form of construction of our invention, a cabinet is indicated at 10. The cabinet 10 comprises sidewalls 11 and end walls 12 and supporting legs 13 connected to the sidewalls 11 as at 14.

A play board is generally indicated at 15 and is of elongated formation as shown and of a size to rockably fit within the confines of the side and end walls 11 and 12, respectively. In the instant case, this play board comprises an elongated relatively flat subboard 16 of plywood construction and secured to and forming a part of an elongated relatively flat top board 17 which provides the playing surface of the game apparatus. Intermediate its end portions, the top board 17 provides between the long edges 18 thereof and the sidewalls ll of the cabinet, gutters 19 for reasons hereinafter made apparent.

Formed in the opposite endportions of the board 17 are recesses 20 and 20 providing traps for the ball. On the board 17 at opposite ends thereof is a' ball runway 21. This runway 21 is defined by a U-shaped sector 22 having parallel extensions 23. Within this sector 22 is arranged a plate 24 having its opposite inner edges 25 converging toward each other and diverging from the side edges 23' of the extensions 23 so as to provide, together with the extensions 23 of the sector 22 a ball runway diminishing in width toward the medial portion 26 of the sector 22. The inner end portion 27 of the plate 24 terminates at the adjacent end of the trap 20 (20 Mounted on one of the plates 24 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) at one side of its long axis is a ball ramp 28 inclined downwardly and inwardly to merge with the board 17, the ramp 28 being triangular in cross section' to guide a rolling ball down upon the board 17. A ball seat 29 is formed at the upper end portion 30 of the ramp 28, onto which seat a ball is positioned for its starting movement down the ramp 28 onto the board 17.

At each end of the board 17 is a depending support 31 and 31' secured to the play board 17in any suitable manner. Adjacent one end of the cabinet 10 is a partition 32. The supports 31 and 31 have mounted in an opening formed therethrough a tubular bearing 33. Through these tubular bearings 33 33 extends a rod 34 which supports the play board 15 in a substantially horizontal plane and upon which rod the play board has limited pivotal movement as hereinafter described. On the ends of the rod 34 are retaining caps 35 to which such ends are fixedly secured by bolts 34 screw-threaded into the end portions of the rod 34. The ends of the rod 34 extend through bushings 36 formed in the end walls 12 of the cabinet 10.

Formed in the support 31 is a recess 37 in which there is fixedly mounted a curved rack bar 38. Meshing with the rack bar teeth 39 are the teeth of a pinion 40 fixedly carried by a shaft 41. The degree of pivoting of the play board 15 about the rod 34 is limited by the engagement of the rack bar teeth 39 with the pinion 40. The end 42 of the shaft 41 extends through an opening 43 formed in the adjacent end wall 12. Secured to the end 42 of the shaft 41 is a hand wheel or knob 44. The inner end portion 45 of the rod 41 is journaled in a bushing 46 formed in the partition 32. Carried by and fixed to the end portion 45 of the rod 41 adjacent the partition 32, is a depending arm 47 which carries at its lower end portion a counterweight 48. The counterweight 48 functions to return the play board 15 to a substantially horizontal plane upon release of the knob 44 by the player.

In FIG. 3 we have illustrated a suggested playing piece or target 49. This playing piece 49 has a flat bottom 50 which facilitates placing the playing pieces upon the play board surface 17 in the manner suggested in FIG. 1. These positions of the playing piece or target 49 may vary according to the desire of the maker of the game apparatus. As pointed out, our invention has for its principal object that of providing a play board which may not only be tilted for the purpose of directing the rolling ball in the direction of one or more targets, but also to maintain the ball in motion an indefinite period of time, depending upon the skill of the player. This is accomplished in the following manner:

The player places the ball to be put in motion, upon the seat 29. By means of a finger of his hand, he strikes the ball to propel it down the ramp 28 onto the play board 15. The player thereupon manipulates the hand wheel 44 to pivot the play board about the rod 34 in an endeavor to direct the ball at a selected target 49. The kinetic energy of the ball will continue the movement of the ball into the ball runway 21 at the end of the board in the direction in which the ball is traveling. At an approximate point, for the purpose of explanation indicated at X (FIG. 1), the rolling ball will bear against the outer edge 23 of the runway 21 and travel therealong. When the ball reaches an approximate point selected by the player and indicated at Y (FIG. 1), the player will by quick manipulation of the knob 44, pivot the board 15 about the long axis of the rod 34, with the result that the ball is whipped away from the edge 23' against which it is rolling. The velocity of the ball is increased by this whipping action and may result in the ball entering the runway 21 at the opposite end of the board, where the same action on the part of the player may take place to maintain the ball in motion. Such action of the ball and the player may continue until all the targets 49 are struck or until the ball runs off the play board into one of the gutters 19 or into the trap 20 or 20.

It is pointed out that as long as the ball is in motion on the play board and has sufi'rcient kinetic energy to carry it through the ball runways at opposite ends of the board, the player by the action just described, may keep the ball in motion an indefinite period of time.

The knob 44 may be in the form shown in the drawings or in the form of a wheel having handles thereon or a hand lever, or such other form as will accomplish the desired result.

Intermediate the ends of the board 15 there may be carried or connected thereto one or more strengthening panels 15 for maintaining the board in a substantially horizontal plane.

i ing:

Suitablemeans in the form of rubber-covered blocks 35' or the like maybe also also be provided at spaced intervals along the sidewalls of the cabinet 10 soas to'limit the pivotal movement of the board aboutthe long axis of the rod 34.

' From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that we provide, a skill game apparatus which, while requiring a concerted action of the eye, muscle, and nerve control in the playing of the game apparatus, will afford much amusement and pleasure in the making of skill playsotf such apparatus.

While we haveillustrated the preferred form of construction for carrying our. invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the.invention.;We,-therefore; do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of theappended claims.

- We claim:

1. An amusement ball-rolling skill game apparatus comprisa. an elongated cabinet; vb. an elongated play board having a short axis and a long axisperpendicular theretoiarranged in said cabinet having an upper surface upon which a ball is adapted to whereby to whipthe ball away from the edge portion of the runway against'which the ball is rolling, to increase ':the velocity of said ball and divertits direction of travel over said'surface of said board. 2. The game apparatus defined in claim 1 characterized by the provision of counterbalancing means for said play board.

. 3. The game apparatus defined by claim 2 characterized by, the provision of a plurality of targets movably mounted on said wplay board and'against which'said ball is adapted to be directed by thepiv'oting of' said board by said pivoting means.

7 A 4'. The game apparatus defined by claim 1 wherein the means for'pivotingsaid board about'its long axis includes a .-.manually rotatable shaft, a pinion carried by said shaft, and a rack-bar meshing with said pinion and carried by said board.

5. The game apparatus defined by claim 4 characterizedby the provisionof'counterbalancing means for said play board.

.- 6. The game apparatus defined by claiml characterized by 'the'provision of a plurality of targets movably mounted on said play board and against which said ball is adapted to be 20 directed by the pivoting of said board by said pivoting means.

Thegame apparatus defined byclaim 1 wherein there is provided by: the cabinet, means for limiting the degree of pivoting of said board by said pivoting means.

8.-The game apparatus defined by claim 1 wherein there is 'provided at one end of said board a ball ramp for directing a ballto said play board formovement over the surface thereof.

9..The game apparatus defined by claim 8 in which there is provided atthe upper end 'of said ramp a ball seat from which the ball is projected down said ramp onto said board.

. 10. The game apparatus defined by claim 9 in which there is provided a plurality of targets movably mounted on said play board 'andagain'st which said ball is adapted to be directed by the pivotingof said board by said pivoting means. 

